


From Nurse to Chauffer

by justanotherbusyfangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Major Character Injury, Medical Patient Dean, Nurse Castiel, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherbusyfangirl/pseuds/justanotherbusyfangirl
Summary: Dean broke his leg in a car accident and Cas is the lucky nurse assigned to him at the hospital.





	From Nurse to Chauffer

The first time Cas saw him, Dean’s right leg was wrapped from his hip to his toe.  The accident was fresh, Dean was pissed.  Pissed that he’d crashed his car, pissed that his leg was broken in three places.  Pissed that he had to stay bedridden for three weeks before even thinking about starting his physical therapy, which would last at least another three months.

Pissed that he was in such a bad place with his brother that he didn’t even want to call him to tell him about the accident.

Dean didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to talk.  Every time Cas would go into his room to check his vitals, pain levels, and to see if Dean needed anything, he only ever got a grunt of annoyance in response.

* * *

It was after two weeks of having Dean as a patient that Cas heard his speaking voice for the first time.  He was changing the sheets on Dean’s bed, which meant that Dean was propped in a wheelchair beside the window.  Cas was so concentrated on his work that he didn’t recognize that he was being spoken to at first.

“Has it snowed yet?”

Dean’s voice was low and growly, sending a tingle down Cas’s spine.  He stood straight, turning toward Dean.  Dean was still looking out the window, and it was almost like he hadn’t talked at all.  Cas stared at Dean’s profile for a minute before Dean turned his green eyes toward him.  “Snow?” he repeated.

Cas started, his tongue slow to comply.  “No, not yet.  S’posed to in the next few days, though.”

Dean nodded before looking back out the window.  Cas exhaled, realizing that he’d barely breathed since Dean had looked at him.  Flustered, Cas quickly finished changing Dean’s sheets and helped him back into bed.  His shift was soon over and he headed home, trying not to think about Dean’s voice as he fell asleep that night.

* * *

The next time Cas heard Dean talk, it was very loudly and to his doctor.  Dean’s three weeks were up and he was ready to get out of bed, but the doctor wasn’t happy with the way he was healing.  He wanted to add another week, maybe two, to Dean’s bedrest.

The entire wing of the hospital heard how upset Dean was about that. 

When Cas went into Dean’s room later to check his stats, Dean stared daggers at him.  Cas felt like he should apologize, felt like Dean was blaming him completely with the extension of his bedrest.

Cas opened his mouth a few times to say something, but each time the words just didn’t come.  He walked out of the room silently, face flushed with embarrassment.

* * *

Cas was purposeful about his visits to Dean’s room during the next week.  He noted the type of jello Dean preferred, paid attention to which stretches made Dean groan in pain versus relief.  If Cas massaged Dean a little more enthusiastically than other patients, it wasn’t on purpose.  

Dean even said thanks a few times, making Cas smile on his way out the door.

* * *

A week and a half later, Dean was discharged.  Cas was on shift to help with the paperwork, noting everything that the doctor told Dean, including recommended stretches to do outside of physical therapy and dosage charts for his medications.

Cas was the one to give Dean his crutches, helping him up and down the hallway until Dean was comfortable with them.  Cas escorted him to the front doors, watching as Dean officially checked himself out.

“Which car is your ride?” Cas asked, looking out of the large automatic doors.  Dean grunted.

“Gonna take the bus home,” Dean said.  Cas’s eyes widened.  Dean was slow to go to the door, luckily, giving Cas the chance to tell the nurses station he’d be taking his lunch early.  He met Dean just outside the hospital doors. 

“Come on,” Cas said, ushering Dean toward the parking lot.  Dean huffed.  Luckily, Cas had been dealing with a grumpy Dean for a month, and wasn’t as nervous about the man as he’d once been.  “You’re not taking a bus with that cast and those crutches.  I’ll drive you home, make sure you get settled.”

He gave Dean a look, hoping it called for no-nonsense.  Apparently it worked, because Dean shrugged and started following Cas to his car.

Getting Dean in and out of the car was one thing, but getting him into his apartment was another.  He lived on the first floor, luckily, but hadn’t stopped the mail.  Cas had to pick up a small mountain of junk mail that was heaped inside Dean’s door before Dean could even walk inside.  

Dean went straight for the couch, collapsing onto it with a sigh.  Cas stood awkwardly, trying to not snoop too much.  “Anything else you need?” he asked.  

Dean looked over at him sheepishly.  He shrugged.  “I guess I’m good,” he said.  It wasn’t convincing.  Cas sighed.  He looked around the room, seeing a pad of paper on the kitchen counter.  He went to it, scribbling quickly.

“This is my cell number,” Cas said, “if you need anything.  Groceries, questions about your meds, a ride to physical therapy…”

“Dude,” Dean interrupted him.  Cas looked over.  “I can’t take advantage of you like that.”

Cas gave him a half-smile.  “Sure you can.  I’ve put up with your sorry ass for a month, I’d like for you to survive the next few, too.”

Cas tore the paper off and handed it to Dean.  “I obviously can’t come over if I’m working, but I’ll do what I can.”  He turned walked the door before pausing and turning around.  “It’s not my place, but I think you should call your brother, too.  Just to let him know what’s up.  He might surprise you.”

Dean didn’t answer.  Cas closed the door behind himself as he left, hoping that his lunch break had been used wisely.

* * *

Two days later, Cas was glad he gave Dean his number.

> _Unknown: Hey, it’s Dean.  With the broken leg.  Any chance you could take me to PT this afternoon?  I tried the bus yesterday and you were right, it was a complete fail.  It’s okay if you can’t, though.  Just thought I’d check._

Even though it wasn’t spoken aloud, it was the most Dean had said to Cas in one go.  Cas immediately replied in the affirmative, and that’s how Cas became Dean’s chauffer to physical therapy.

* * *

PT made Dean grumpy again.  It wasn’t nearly as bad as his first week in the hospital, but whenever Cas gave him a ride home from a session, it was one of two extremes: complete silence or non-stop complaining.

Cas couldn’t really find it in himself to care either way, because his mind was otherwise occupied.

He mentally berated himself every car ride for having bourgeoning feelings for a former patient, one who was relying on him, still.  Even Dean’s complaints made his stomach do somersaults, just from listening to Dean’s voice.

* * *

Driving Dean to PT lead quickly into shared post-PT comfort food for dinner.  Dean wasn’t cooking with his leg still in the cast (standing was difficult to begin with, but it was especially bad after a tiring session of therapy), and so he would have Cas drive them through somewhere on the way home.  Eventually he convinced Cas to eat with him as payment, and Cas couldn’t find it in him to say no.

Drive-through food led to take out from actual restaurants, and then they were eating Chinese and watching movies on Dean’s couch two or three times a week.

And if they spent some nights with no movie on, just talking and getting to know each other, neither of them complained.

* * *

Dean’s large cast came off a few weeks into PT, putting him into one that allowed more movement.  Cas wasn’t sure if he was happy that Dean could easily take the bus now or not, but Dean still had Cas drive him to his PT. 

The thing that made Cas a little nervous was when Dean got his car towed back to his apartment parking lot.  He started working on fixing it, giving Cas the resounding indication that once it was fixed, Dean couldn’t wait to drive his baby again.

Cas felt awfully lonely in his old, beat-up car when he drove home that day.

* * *

Dean’s last day of PT, the office held a small graduation party for him.  Cas only happened to stumble into the party, after waiting for Dean out front much longer than normal.  He hadn’t even known it was Dean’s last day, and the thought left a stone in the pit of his stomach.

He smiled though, congratulating Dean and accepting a cookie.  Dean could get on with his life now, go back to work.  

And so could Cas.

* * *

Three weeks went by.  Cas didn’t wait for his phone to buzz for a text from Dean anymore, it had been so long since they spoke.  He threw himself back into work, tending to his patients with more enthusiasm than ever before.  He took every extra shift he could, filling his time so that when he was at home, all he wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

Cas’s phone rang, right as he was getting off of his shift at the hospital.  He was shocked to see Dean’s name on the screen, but answered it straight away.

“Dean?  Are you okay?” 

Dean’s laugh sounded from the other end of the line.  “I’m great, Cas, thanks.”  Cas’s heartbeat was erratic, but now that he knew Dean wasn’t in need of him for medical care, his heartbeat was affected by his nerves, not his worry.

“I, uh,” Dean paused, obviously looking for words.  “Did your shift just end?”

Cas frowned.  How had Dean known that?  This was one of Cas’s normal shifts, so maybe Dean remembered his hours?

“Yes, I just clocked out,” Cas said, making sure that his tone of voice encouraged Dean to give him an explanation.

“Okay, well, come outside.”

Cas walked to the large doors, the same ones that he’d helped Dean through when he’d been discharged.  Just outside was Dean, leaning against his newly fixed car.  She was shiny and good as new, her engine purring as she idled.

Cas lowered the phone from his ear and Dean mirrored him, a huge grin on his face.  “Cas, it’s good to see you,” Dean said, wobbling slightly on his feet as he took a couple steps toward Cas.  “I’m sorry I haven’t texted…”

Cas waved his hand dismissively.  “You didn’t need me to give you a ride to PT anymore, I understand.”

Dean’s face fell slightly.  “No, I mean…” He looked toward his car.  “I’ve spent every free second since my last session fixing Baby.  But that entire time, the real reason I wanted to get her fixed up wasn’t just for me…”

Dean looked back to Cas.  “I want to be the one to give you a ride, Cas.”  Cas blushed, wondering what Dean meant by that.  “I thought maybe first I could give you a ride to dinner?  Like, a real date?”

Cas swallowed, feeling like his heart was going to shoot out of his throat and fly away it was so excited.  Tempering his eagerness to not be embarrassing, he nodded and smiled.

“I would love that, Dean.”


End file.
